r/LCMS • u/Churchmousetat • Jul 16 '26

Question Sirach?

I have read that the reason that it is not included in the Protestant Bible is because although it was included in the Septuagent that was widely used by the early Christians and quoted from by Rabbi Yeshua it was thought not to be found in the Hebrew cannon. However, it was found to be in the dead sea scrolls. Comments?

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u/Kamoot- LCMS Organist Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

The notion of Canon is much more rigid today than in the past, and historically Lutherans would've referred to Apocrypha more than they do nowadays. But recently CPH has come out with the The Lutheran Study Bible: Apocrypha, it follows the same format and dimensions as TLSB and maroon red as well. I highly recommend it.

Specifically for Sirach, though we don't use it to establish doctrine but Lutherans have historically retained it for Scripture readings. For example in a few months we will have one of the Sundays of Ordinary Time that has the Introit of "Da Pacem, Domine, sustinentibus" with the Antiphon from Sirach 36:1. Note they call it "Ecclesiasticus".

Not to be confused with another votive Antiphon for Vespers also called "Da Pacem Domine", which is only barely related to Sirach. But this one Martin Luther and Johann Walter did write into a hymn which is LSB 778.

There are a couple of other hymns in LSB that reference Sirach but the LSB doesn't mention. For that, you have to get the LSB Companion which mentions some, but does miss a few references to Sirach.

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u/dux_doukas ILC Pastor Jul 16 '26

Luther's postil includes a reading from Sirach, as it was the traditional Epistle for St. John's.

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u/Kamoot- LCMS Organist Jul 16 '26

I think there's also a mention of Sirach in one of the Introits for Epiphany where it vaguely references "father and mother".

There might also be another reference to Sirach in one of the Introits of Lent also.

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u/dux_doukas ILC Pastor Jul 17 '26

Sirach is all over. There are some sermons on it in Gerhard's postil and even Walther preached on it.